Dagger to the Heart
by WhisperedMuse
Summary: But he wasn’t dead. He looked too peaceful to be dead. Death was misery, torture, grief and pain—not peace. No. He wasn’t dead… Marian's account of the final part of episode S2Ep07. RobinMarian


My first Robin Hood fic! I was so moved by yesterday's episode I had to put a literary spin on things. A big thanks to Michelle of HTV for helping me with the colour of the sheets among other things. And also to Lizzie, who put the whole idea of passing out into my head :)

Thanks to Lynda for her review (Sorry I can't reply, my E-mail is playing up)

This is the edited version of the fic, because (as spooksrocks kindly pointed out) I quoted wrong from the episode... :rolleyes:

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She had heard them from a mile away. Various pairs of feet running towards her in a shower of thundering steps. Doors slammed, people gasped as they hastily moved out of the way. The barricade was raised and most of the guards came to a halt. She could almost feel the oxygen filling their lungs as they gratefully drew deep breaths; she almost felt sorry for them. But underneath she couldn't care less. Why should she? Why should she care about the bunch of brainless idiots who she felt were only employed to follow her around, winding her up more with every step they took.

She heard the sound of a solitary guard, his heavy footfalls echoing annoyingly around the stone walls. Sighing to herself, she put down her pen. It's not as though she could concentrate on what she was doing anyway. Her earlier conversation with her father playing over and over again in her mind. Whispered comments like daggers to his heart—coming from her. She'd said that she was ashamed of him. When, in fact, it didn't mean a thing. She wasn't ashamed—she couldn't be more proud.

A rushed knocking at her door interrupted her guilty musings. She realised that she had been doodling her thoughts on a scrap piece of paper. Smiling to herself, she pocketed the paper, before striding to her door; wanting to get whatever exchange she was about to make with the guard over and done with.

Rather suddenly, she threw the door open, coming face to face with a portly man, his eye shield up, hands on his knees, breathing deeply—or, at least, trying to.

"Lady Marian…Sir Guy needs…" The guard stood up here, having finally managed to catch his breath. "Out in town. There's been an…" He paused to choose his words correctly. "Incident… It's your father…" Marian didn't need to hear any more. Barging past the guard she sprinted down the corridor, as fast as her dress would allow. Her heart raced and tears threatened to fall from the corners of her eyes. _Please no…_Every possible scenario burned dark holes into the back of her mind, erasing any rational thought that resided there; until she was sure there was nothing left to burn. Running out into the courtyard, she mowed down the guards that she had heard only a few minutes before; some only just standing up after catching their breath. They fell like skittles, yelling obscenities after her as she retreated out of the castle. At that moment she didn't care, her father was all that mattered to her, deep down he was all that could ever matter to her. Until she could have Robin, he was her only family.

Slowing down only a little, she entered the familiar place. Sheets hung around in squares, sealing off pieces of land like little rooms, private and intimate. Emerging from around a make-shift corner, she met a sight that made her blood run cold.

He was layed out—like an angel, on a row of crates covered by a sheet. So white he almost blended right in. But he wasn't dead. He looked too peaceful to be dead. Death was misery, torture, grief and pain—not peace. No. He wasn't dead… Just asleep… He just needed to wake up.

Guy was stood in another of the make-shift sheet corners, a look of devastation on his face. He could see the confusion in her eyes and his face mirrored it. What was he looking so upset for?

Marian took another look at her father's motionless body and reality landed heavily in the pit of her stomach. He wasn't breathing. She ran closer, trying to kneel next to him when Gisbourne made his move.

"Marian" He held her in a vice-like grip as she struggled to get free. At that moment he was the one thing keeping her from her father's side. She was always at his side, and Guy wasn't going to stop her this time. Her struggling blocked out all the words forming on Guys lips, Marian only managed to catch the phrase 'Robin Hood' before yelling at him; denying her father's involvement in anything to do with Robin. She wouldn't have his reputation in tatters after so long—even if she knew Robin was one of the good guys.

Flinging herself from Guy's grip she ran to kneel by her father's, hands roaming his body in a futile attempt to rouse him.

"Father…" Her tone was questioning at first, but nothing happened. She repeated herself; again and again, each time her voice gaining urgency. Her chest began to constrict in grief as the heavy feeling in her stomach got worse. The tightness was getting too hard to bear, but it was nothing compared to the anguish she was feeling. Letting out a strangled cry, she held her father's head, leaning her own down to rest on his chest. Her tears traced lines down her cheeks, like rain trailing down a window pane. She tried to eject her sorrow through her tears, but shedding them only intensified her grief, each tear replaced by tens times more sorrow. She had never known pain such as this, not even when Robin left for the Holy Land. For he wasn't gone, not really; and he returned. Her father never would. Tenderly she kissed her father's bearded chin, savouring the feel of it beneath her lips; taking in his rounded stomach and peaceful expression.

Once again she felt Guy's heavy-handed touch on her back. She knew her senses were exaggerating things, but she had to get him off all the same. She couldn't take it; sitting there next to the wound that had killed her father. The red stain seemed to grow bigger and bigger, swallowing her up like a black hole engulfing a planet. She shoved him hard, using all her strength combined with the eagerness to run.

"Get off me!" She yelled at him, teeth grit, a mixture of anger, sorrow and grief of the most indescribable kind shown in her features. Her eyes, especially, showed all of her true feelings. The betrayal, the anguish and the guilt. The look so intense Guy withdrew as she ran.

She could hear him running behind her only a few seconds later as she retraced her steps back into the castle, hoping to get to the refuge of her room before her could catch her. She needed to feel the wood of the door against her back, the welcome isolation that would bring from everything that had happened. The ability to get away from Guy at any moment was something she had always savoured when under house arrest, now, it was something she craved.

Within a few steps of reaching the door he caught up with her, pulling her around to face him. He was whispering harshly about how her father had killed the jailer, and how it all linked back to her. She held in the bitter laughter threatening to escape her lips as she listened. The warmth in Guy's eyes suddenly held her attention. _Let me protect you…_She found herself in his arms, the warmth of his body comforting to her. His lips finding her temple as she sighed into his embrace. There was always something so protective and loving about Guy that she had warmed to, was he taking advantage of that? She wasn't too sure of the answer until his lips were nearly on hers. Her trance broken she pushed him away, a sob breaking at the back of her throat. His muttered apology was the last thing on her mind as she stared at his face for the last time before hurriedly pushing open the door to her room.

Sighing, she leaned back against the solid frame, hoping he would just leave it and walk away. This was confirmed as his footsteps grew fainter until they were out of range. Behind her half-closed eyes she could just make out the shape of Robin standing by her bed.

"I was with him when he died." That's all it took for her. It was as if a door to her heart has opened, letting all the grief escape. It was so intense Marian felt like she was going to pass out. Taking two unsteady steps towards him she fell to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably into her hands. Robin was there like a shot, putting his arms around her in comfort. It was then that she spilled all her guilt and upset to him, everything from her and her father's exchange in the dungeon. He listened with an avid intentness as she talked, staring at her with his beautiful eyes; she felt as though they were soaking up all her hurt with just one look.

"He told me to give you a message—that it's good to dream…" Marian gave in to another batch of tears, more of relief than anything else. Her father had forgiven her before he died, something that would make accepting his death that little bit easier.

Accepting Robin's invitation was the easiest decision of her life, there was nothing left for her at the castle, there wasn't much there to start with. As she and Robin climbed down the rope and mounted the horse, she couldn't help but feel a little hopeful about things. But thinking about her father's message sent a few tears down her cheeks. She watched carefully as they soaked into Robin's back, the material darkening as the wetness spread.

Feeling something in her pocket as the horse galloped away, she pulled out the piece of paper from earlier. Unfurling it, she gasped at what it showed. In her own hand, she saw a picture of a dagger imbedded in a heart; drawn as she remembered her harsh conversation from the dungeons earlier. Her father's message came again to her, as though it has floated on the soft breeze from heaven.

'It's good to dream' a dagger to her heart.


End file.
